Virginia Crawford Byers, 88, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Feb. 1 at her residence in Arlington.

A graveside remembrance of her life will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 8 at Big Valley Cemetery in Chillicothe.

Virginia was born to Roy Jackson Crawford and Mamie Lou Blume Crawford on Jan. 28, 1934 in Vernon. A sharecropper's daughter, the third of six children, she was raised with a deep faith in the Lord and a powerful work ethic, both of which would strengthen her all the days of her life. A studious, athletic, young woman, she excelled at tennis at Odell High School and was named Valedictorian of the Class of 1951. She earned a university scholarship that went unclaimed, one of few unrealized goals of her lifetime and later the impetus for her insistence that her children and grandchildren be well educated. Wedding bells rang out on Sept. 12, 1951, when, against the wishes of her parents she eloped with the love of her life, Louis B. Byers Jr., and was joined in marriage during a simple ceremony at The First Baptist Church in Portales, N.M. A close inspection of the wedding certificate reveals that she "may have" misrepresented her age, adding a year, so that she could realize her dream of becoming Mrs. L.B. Byers. In the years that followed, they built a bright future together. After serving in the Air Force, Louis moved quickly up the ladder as an engineer for Martin Marietta where he worked with guidance systems on the Titan missile program. Career responsibilities took them to Colorado, Arizona and California, with two sons born between stops. Sadly, their time together was short-lived, lost in an instant, the result of a catastrophic airplane crash that took the lives of all onboard. Louis was gone, 11 years together was ended. She did not remarry.

Widowed and with her hands full raising two feisty boys — 18 months and six and a half years-- she turned herself to earning a living and providing structure and support for the family. Being a young widowed woman in the 1960s was no easy hike. She faced the pity of those who sincerely felt her loss, the scorn of those who thought she had it easy, living on a large insurance payout (there was none really) and the government dole, and the hustlers and sharks that saw her loneliness and mistook it for weakness. As a result, she accepted no pity, called out the scornful, most often face to face, and those who thought her weak soon learned she was more than a match and a handful when push came to shove. She wore her strength, intellect, sharp wit and dry sense of humor like armor, standing tall and proud. She commanded respect and was not afraid to go toe to toe to get it. Her children and grandchildren exemplify these same attributes thanks to her example. Time flew, children grew, life rolled on. Some 40-odd years in service to the U.S. Navy as a civil servant in multiple roles and locations came to an end. Age and Parkinson's disease took their toll. She slowly became weak in body but remained alert in mind and spirit. Always swift with an encouraging word or a bag of groceries, whatever was called for. She praised her grandchildren and glowed with pride in their presence. Family gatherings took on new importance with the matriarch at the head of the table. No photo opportunity went without a smile. No opportunity to say "I love you" went unanswered. In the end, she left us with those same three words and asked that we tell everyone for her.

Consider yourself told.

Virginia is preceded in death and joined in glorious reunion by her parents, Roy and Mamie Crawford, her life's love, Louis Byers and siblings Dorothy, Donald, Bobby, Louella and Pat and let me tell you, she wasn't happy about being left to go last and is probably giving them an earful just now.

She is survived by her sons Louis Dean Byers and Darrell Wayne Byers, daughters-in-law Carrie and Michele, and grandchildren Cody, Tyler, Jessica, Cassie, Samuel and Katherine as well as numerous nieces and nephews and friends.